This invention concerns an automatic document handling apparatus for an electrophotographic reproduction machine.
Conventional electrophotographic reproduction machines comprising a reproduction machine capable of automatically transferring images on both surfaces of a copying paper in combination with an automatic original feeding apparatus have been constituted as shown in FIG. 1.
Referring at first to the operation of the reproduction machine main body by way of FIG. 2, an original document 2 placed on a platen glass 1 is illuminated from an exposure lamp 3. Images from the original 2 are projected by way of a lens 4 and mirrors 5a and 5b to a photosensitive drum 6. The photosensitive body 6 deposited with static charges by a corotron 7 rotates counter clockwise and electrostatic latent images are formed on the photosensitive body 6 when the images from the original 2 are projected thereto through a slit 8. The lens 4 moves in the direction of an arrow A in time with the rotation of the photosensitive body 6 and produces electrostatic latent images of the original 2 on the photosensitive body 6. The electrostatic latent images are developed into toner images by a developer 9 and transferred onto copy sheets 10 fed in synchronism with the toner images by way of a transfer corotron 11. The toner images on the copy sheets 10 are fixed in a fixer 12 and then the copy sheets are discharged on a copy receiving tray 13. Since the copy sheets are discharged with the copied surface up, an advantage is obtained in that the finished state of the reproduction can be checked instantly.
However, where the reproduction is to be effected for a set of documents consisting, for example, of three original sheets comprising a first page P.sub.1 through a third page P.sub.3 and the first P.sub.1 is placed on the platen for the copying operation first, followed by the operation for the second and the third sheets successively, the copy sheets 10 are deposited on the copy receiving tray 13 in an order in which the third sheet P.sub.3 comes uppermost of the stack as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, in using the set of copied sheets, the paper stack should be re-ordered after taking out the copy sheets 10 from the tray 13, which is a great inconvenience, particularly for a large number of pages.
While the above description relates to the transfer only on one side of the copy sheets, explanation will now be made to the operation where transfer is effected on both sides of the copy sheets.
In FIG. 2, depression of a switch for duplex copying mode (not shown) on a console, displaces a part 15 of a copy sheet conveying mechanism from position B to B', which is carried out by energizing a solenoid (not shown). A paper feed roller 17b is supported by an arm around a pivot on a paper feed tray 16b and the paper feed roller 17b rises from a position C to a position C' as the conveying mechanism 15 moves from the position B to the position B'.
When the reproduction machine is operated in this state, copy sheets are fed from the paper feed tray 16a by the paper feed roller 17a and accumulated on the paper feed tray 16b, wherein toner images are fixed on the upper surface of the copying sheets.
Where a set of originals consisting, for example, of a first page P.sub.1 through sixth page P.sub.6 are to be reproduced and the reproduction is effected in the order of the first page P.sub.1, the third page P.sub.3 and the fifth page P.sub.5, the copy sheets are accumulated on the paper feed tray 16b as shown in FIG. 4. Then, by deenergizing the solenoid to return the conveying mechanism to the position B, the paper feed roller 17b descends on the stack of the copying sheets by its own weight. When the originals are placed on the original platen in the order of the second, fourth, and sixth pages successively, and subjected to reproduction, copies can be obtained on the copy receiving tray well-arranged from the sixth page as shown in FIG. 5. Consequently, the stacked copies can be taken out and used as they are with no re-ordering.
As is evident from the foregoing, the order of the copied sheets deposited on the copy receiving tray differ between single side reproduction and duplex reproduction, which is very inconvenient in actual use.
In order to overcome this inconvenience, an inverter 18 as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 has been provided, so that copy sheets discharged from the reproduction machine main body are turned upside down to re-arrange the order of the copy sheets to the original order.
The provision of such an additional mechanism in the conveying passageway for the copy sheet, however, results in serious inconvenience in that it increases the probabilities of copy sheet jams, as well as increases the time for sheet travel from the start of the reproduction machine to the discharge of the copy sheets to the copy receiving tray due to the increase in the full length of the conveying passageway.
This invention has been made in view of the foregoing and the object thereof is to provide an automatic document handling apparatus in an automatic document sending apparatus for automatically feeding documents to an exposure station of a reproduction machine and automatically discharging the original sheets after exposure, characterized by the provision of an automatic original document feeding mechanism for continuously feeding originals from the last original sheet when the transfer is to be effected only on one side of the copy sheets and from the first original sheet when the transfer is to be effected on both sides of the copy sheets upon receipt of signals in accordance with a one side reproduction or a duplex reproduction mode from the reproduction machine main body thereby enabling use of the copy sheets as they are delivered to the output tray of the machine. A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic document handling apparatus having an automatic document discharging mechanism wherein, after the feeding of an original to the exposure station of a reproduction machine, the succeeding original is fed and, simultaneously, the direction of discharging the original already present at the exposure station to the original receiving trays is selected in accordance with the direction of feeding the originals, whereby the order of the originals are returned to the initial order when all of the exposed originals are accumulated on the original receiving tray.